After five years on the run, Nicky Guimond Everson’s location is exposed, and she’s forced to come out of hiding to keep her son safe. Wary and suspicious, she’ll have to trust a stranger if she is to bring her illegal-arms-dealing ex-husband to justice once and for all. But resisting the arrogant but sexy security specialist isn’t as easy as she first thought.

For Rhy McLean, the mission comes first. The job is his only love, but as he works with Nicky to catch his brother’s killer, her strength and loyalty melt the ice encasing his heart. She’s not at all the woman he expected her to be. But Rhy has a dark secret he’s been keeping from her and everything is at risk if she finds out.

Digging through his bag, he grunted and straightened. The handcuffs clinked together as he carried them to the door. Nicky glanced over as he attached one end to the iron grating of the old fashioned radiator beside the door. The fit was tight, but he managed to close the other end around the doorknob with a decisive snick. The makeshift lock effectively prevented the door from being opened without first obtaining the key. He slipped the keychain into the front pocket of his jeans.

Irritation simmered in Nicky’s eyes when they lifted from the handcuffs to him. “Isn’t that a fire hazard?”

“I’m a light sleeper.”

“That isn’t necessary, you know.”

Her words were an echo of those she’d thrown at him when he unceremoniously searched her duffel bag earlier while Tim and Alex were still out getting their meals.

Rhy repeated the same response as he had then. “I’m not taking any chances you’ll be gone when I wake up.”

“I thought you were a light sleeper.” A healthy dose of syrupy sweet sarcasm coated the dig.

He crossed his arms and shifted his weight to one hip in a negligent pose. “There’s another alternative.” He shifted his gaze to the bed he’d be sleeping in, alone, before coming back to rest on her with his eyebrows raised.

Nicky gave him a “get real”smirk but didn’t comment.

“I didn’t think so.” He ground his teeth against the sharp stab of disappointment he had no business feeling. He picked up his bag and headed for the bathroom, so pissed he couldn’t think straight. Nonetheless, his justifiable anger was no match for the images flooding his mind at the idea of crawling into that soft bed to curl himself around her even softer body. Then again, the part of his body supplying the impetus for the images wasn’t exactly known for its intelligence.

He closed the bathroom door with a kick of his foot. The cold shower didn’t help.